What to Cook Now: Cauliflower

Recipes and tips for the season's best ingredientsby Joanne Camas

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auliflower may not be the most beautiful vegetable to grace the table, but what it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in nutrition. Very low in fat and cholesterol, cauliflower is a good source of protein, fiber, and a slew of vitamins and minerals. In fact, ounce for ounce cauliflower has more vitamin C than a grapefruit! And like other crucifers—broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale—cauliflower also contains powerful cancer-fighting nutrients.

Cauliflower's mild, slightly sweet taste works equally well with aromatics (turmeric, coriander, and curry blends) and strong-flavored ingredients (sharp Cheddar cheese, truffle oil). And while serving cauliflower raw in crudités and salads is an easy option, it's also versatile enough to bake, sauté, and purée. Our recipes show you how.

tips:

Buy and Store

Choose heavy, compact heads that are free from blemishes and are well wrapped in their outer leaves. The protective leaves should look fresh and crisp. You can keep cauliflower in a paper or plastic bag in the fridge's crisper, but place it upright with the stem down to prevent condensation from gathering and spoiling the florets.

Change Colors

Most people identify cauliflower by its creamy white color, and sometimes jokingly refer to it as "white broccoli," but variations on cauliflower's classic winter-white are now plentiful. The green broccoli/cauliflower hybrid known as "broccoflower" is increasingly popular, and colorful heirloom varieties of cauliflower in shades of yellow, orange, green, and purple can be found at farmers' markets or specialty foods shops. Heirloom cauliflower tastes the same as its paler brethren, but the orange florets have more vitamin A, while the purple variety contains more anthocyanin, the same antioxidant found in red wine.

Cooking Tips

No one likes mushy cauliflower, so take care when cooking it, especially when steaming or boiling. Florets that are uniform in size can be steamed as quickly as 6 to 7 minutes, and boiled in about 10. Microwaving is the fastest method, clocking in at 3 to 4 minutes. Keep in mind that the thicker stalks add some cooking time. For crisp cauliflower, sauté as you would broccoli, or for an ideal, firm-but-tender texture, try baking or roasting, which draws out a nuttiness that isn't detectable otherwise. Puréed, cauliflower makes for a delicate, silky soup, and if you mash it up, its resemblance to mashed potatoes is uncanny.